At These Gates
by OutlawQuadrant
Summary: After many years have passed, Silver Spoon returns to Ponyville to close out a chapter of her life.


**At These Gates**

 **By outlaw4rc**

* * *

"We're approaching Ponyville, Silver Spoon."

A single touch from the train conductor woke me from my slumber. He was kind enough to do so, just as I requested from him soon after the train had pulled out of the Canterlot station. With hardly any riders inside this cabin, it would've been easy for me to sleep right through my stop. After all these years writhing just thinking about coming back to Ponyville, I would've had a convenient excuse to abandon the trip altogether.

There had been too many of those already. I had to do this, now.

A turn of the head and I could see the outskirts of Ponyville zooming past my window. While time had transformed me into a full-fledged mare, it did little to the land that used to be my home. Sure, the trees are a little taller than I remembered them but otherwise, every thatched house was exactly where it should be. The roads persisted at being dirt rather than cobblestone and Princess Twilight's castle casted its protective shadow over parts of the town. What was missing from the picture was a monster crashing through town hall or a sudden infestation forcing ponies to flee. It must have been a slow day and for that, I was grateful. While I would've enjoyed watching the Element Bearers in action one more time, the last thing I needed was a distraction.

A few minutes later, the train shuddered to a stop. One glance and I can already tell there were a few familiar faces – more mature in complexion or otherwise wrinkled by age – standing on the platform. None of those ponies was waiting for me, though. I informed nopony in town that I was coming although in reality, I doubt they would've come out to see me anyways. Even if the townsfolk would forgive me for my former unforgivable self, they wouldn't recognize who I am today. I had ditched those pretentious glasses that were really just a decorative display of wealth that blinded me to reality. I had let my hair grow out past halfway down my body and I even put on a simple blue dress to keep the most obvious clue of who I was out of view.

As expected, I managed to walk through the train station without anypony recognizing me. Once I reached the main road, however, I suddenly heard my name.

"Silver Spoon? Oh my _gosh_! Silver Spoon!"

I froze in place when I turned back and recognized who had discovered me out so quickly. She still had that two-tone curly hair that surpassed my hair's length, that soft white coat with nary a speck of dirt and an angelic voice devoid of the squeaks that I had teased about in the past.

"Sweetie Belle?"

That was all I managed to say before she spun me around into a tight hug. Then, she began an endless string of words that was nothing but complementary about my return. Deep inside me, I wished for a moment like this except with a different pony. I wasn't sure if I deserved this welcome, though, and when I finally had an opening, I made sure she knew.

"What are you apologizing for?" said Sweetie Belle, shrugging. "We were fillies back then, Silver Spoon. It's not like I was the perfect filly, either."

I dug a hole on the road, "But I did far more wrong than any filly should've done, especially to you, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. I mean, calling you blank flanks, pushing you in the mud, that one time when I swapped your juice for—"

"Water under the bridge. Besides, you weren't always bad. Actually, after that incident with that big school project, I really thought you were turning it around."

That came as a surprise. Me, being nice? In Ponyville? I hated reflecting back to those times and yet, the memories escaped from where I hid them.

Whether it was by design or coincidence, Miss Cheerilee had assigned me with Sweetie Belle for a major project instead of Diamond Tiara. As usual, Tiara ordered me to make Sweetie's life miserable. To this day, I don't understand why she had something in particular against her and the other two Crusaders although she had some peeve with just about everypony in class. While I didn't question her orders, unlike all the other times, I had a problem with them. I was at a point in my life where I was trying to get into Canterlot Academy, a gifted school for only the smartest fillies and colts in all of Equestria. If I were able to ace this last project, my grades would've been good enough for admittance. I had told Diamond Tiara about the Academy many times over but I don't think she ever listened.

Even so, I tried to play the role of loyal soldier. However, the time I spent with Sweetie Belle was the first time I felt like I had a real voice, that I mattered. She turned what was then my idea of fun and flipped it on its head. Somehow, she endured my initial belittling and became something other than a pony I had to push around.

"So, are you here to see Diamond Tiara," Sweetie Belle asked.

Sweetie Belle had me figured out already. To think that one school assignment started unwinding the threads that held together my friendship with Diamond Tiara. When Tiara found out how well I was working with Sweetie Belle, to say she was furious was an understatement. She claimed I was betraying her and I had to fall back in line immediately. If it had been any other time, I would've done so but having Sweetie Belle's support and the Academy in mind gave me something I never had before, courage.

I rebuffed Diamond Tiara for the first time. I stood my ground.

She yelled at me, tore me down to tears and even went out of her way to sabotage our assignment. Somehow, Sweetie Belle and I persevered and earned a good grade but I ended up losing Diamond Tiara. I went from her right hand pony to the bottom of her list and to make it worse, I blamed it all on Sweetie Belle. A reasonable filly would've left me to suffer my fate alone. After all, I was Tiara's accomplice and therefore, I was just as guilty as she was for all the bad things she did.

Instead, she made the last few weeks of school bearable. She ate with me during lunch, we occasionally went out to the malt shop and she even let me in on her crusading with her friends a few times. I got the impression Scootaloo and Apple Bloom weren't all on board with the idea but even indifference sprinkled in with a few smiles was a treasure. That said, when I received my acceptance letter to Canterlot Academy, I left Ponyville the moment I could. I wanted to get as far away as possible from Ponyville, from Diamond Tiara, from the old me. I even kept my departure a secret so I could sever every connection I had ever made in Ponyville, even the good ones that I was forming. I wanted a clean slate, to begin anew but no amount of magic could make it possible while living in the same town as Tiara.

"I guess you can say that," I finally answered back. I then proceeded to tell Sweetie Belle why I came back to Ponyville, knowing that question would come up eventually. Not once did she interrupt or even display a hint of displeasure at what I had to say.

"I see, Silver Spoon," she replied, rubbing her chin. "In that case, let's get going!"

Just like that, Sweetie Belle cantered down the road that snaked around Ponyville's outer edge.

"You don't need to do this," I persisted as I chased after her.

"Believe me, you'll need the company. Trust me," she answered with a smile. "I can't imagine anypony not being nervous about going through something like this."

With a nod, I continued following her. It wasn't long before she asked about my life after I had left for Canterlot Academy. Before I knew it, I went on about the great classes I took, the new friends I made and the changes I had undergone. In my eagerness, though, I let it slip out that when the ponies in Canterlot had asked me about my time in Ponyville.

I kept it to no more than two or three sentences. Not only did I hide my past under the guise of brevity, I deliberately avoided all contact with my hometown until now. It was easier to turn my back to those that probably didn't think much of me anyways, even those that I often wished I could reconnect. In fact, I know for a fact Sweetie Belle tried to stay in touch with me given the letters I received from her during holidays. They're on my desk back in Canterlot, unopened.

"Well, I'm just glad you came back," Sweetie Belle said as we passed by the bowling alley. "I wish I could say a lot of things changed here since you left. Well, okay, I guess we've gotten a little bigger and some ponies have moved on but we're still good old Ponyville! You can talk to just about anypony that you've met before and I bet they haven't changed much at all!"

Suddenly, I stopped in front of a path leading to a pile of ash. I gasped at the poor upkeep surrounding the area; grass long overdue for a cut, a swing set missing its slide and the tallest tree in the area now a mere stump of its former glory.

I ran up to the trunk and touched it. "Wha, what happened here?"

"Oh, right," Sweetie Belle responded as though she was reporting a death in the family. "We had a flame breathing monster attack Ponyville a few months back. Twilight and her friends drove it away but not before it torched the Schoolhouse and a few sheds. Thank Celestia it was Spring Break so nopony was inside."

This revelation didn't surprise me one bit. With all the disasters that occurred within Ponyville on a regular basis, something like this was bound to happen. Even so, the subtle scent of singed wood triggered water to seep from my eyes.

Many years ago, at this very spot, I had my first encounter with Diamond Tiara.

It was snack time during the first day of school. Tiara had set up a meal as expected from a family flush with bits: silk tablecloth neatly placed over the grass, fine china, folded napkins, teacups and the expected array of polished utensils. I'd seen her around town a number of times but while my family also had wealth, it wasn't enough to register in the eyes of the Ponyville elite. My father made it a point that status was all that mattered in the world and I needed to do anything and everything to raise it further. Here was a prime opportunity to make a connection to launch me higher up in society than I could on my own. I suppose friendship was part of the equation although I admit now I wished that were the main reason.

"Excuse me," I spoke to Tiara, standing over the elaborate picnic spread of cold cuts and soup.

Diamond Tiara looked at me as though I was a bee trying to steal some honey from the open jar. "What do you want?"

"I totally love what you did here but I see something that's off."

"What?" Tiara stood up and wrinkled her nose at me. "How would somepony like you know anything about proper table setting?"

On cue, I pointed to my cutie mark. "Let's just say I know a few things. Your spoons, for example, are not in the right order. If you just give me a few minutes, I can show you the right way."

"The right way? _The right way?_ " Tiara parroted before stepping into my personal space. "You dare tell Diamond Tiara that she did something wrong?"

Her scowl had me in a paralyzing tremble. What I thought was the perfect icebreaker only triggered a volcano ready to explode inches from my face. I had to salvage something so I pushed my fear to the bowels of my stomach. "Oh, no, no, no, Diamond Tiara! Believe me, you did such a magnificent job! I personally know ponies twice your age that still uses a cake fork for salad! Just imagine if you can perfect your technique so you can show it off to everypony you know! Then they'll really be impressed with your sophistication!"

Tiara took a step back and re-examined her work. "Well—"

"I bet your parents still make you eat with the other unrefined fillies and colts during social parties, don't they? With my help, they'll promote you to the adult's table where you belong."

Finally, Tiara cracked a smile except I sensed nothing pleasant from it. "You have a point. A pony like me simply cannot afford a breach in etiquette, even in such a lowly venue like the Schoolyard. Now, make yourself useful and refresh me about proper utensil placement."

I spent the remainder of the break teaching her everything I knew. I could tell by the way she said, " _I knew that_ " I would need a few more meal periods before she understood that a tablespoon was not the ideal choice when needing salt. To my relief, she agreed to more sessions after school at her mansion. If that wasn't a big enough surprise, she gave me something for my efforts.

"This spoon?" I uttered.

"Something wrong, Silver Spoon?"

This was no ordinary utensil. There was no doubt it was genuine silver and given the intricate pattern on the handle that it must have taken somepony weeks to create such a piece of art. "Oh, Sweet Celestia! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

She stepped back, rebuffing my hug attempt. "Don't get used to it. I don't really care for that design, anyways."

All these years later, I continue to wonder whether Tiara's gesture had any inkling of compassion or whether she was really just disposing of a utensil that no longer served her needs. Before I could lose myself in the past any more, Sweetie Belle pulled me back into reality.

"Are you okay, Silver Spoon," she asked, nudging me on the side. "You were zoning out on me for a minute."

"I'm all right," I reassured Sweetie Belle. "I'm done here."

I left the remains of the school behind and allowed Sweetie Belle to fill the air with conversation about happier times in Ponyville. I may have not been around those moments but she made me feel like I was splurging cake at Pinkie's biggest party ever or wiping away a joyful tear at Mayor Mare's wedding. Before I knew it, I was asking Sweetie Belle all sorts of follow up questions. There was so much I wanted to know but not enough time; what I came here for appeared over the next crest.

"This hasn't changed much either," Sweetie Belle remarked.

Filthy Rich's mansion had always been the ultimate status symbol in this town. At night, the streetlights surrounding the property shone with a cool blue brightness rivaled only by the sun. The hedges were the exact same height as always and no blade of grass was out of place. I can tell they had just washed the windows, as I could see the fine silk curtains preventing outsiders from taking a peek at the immaculate rugs, glass chandeliers and pristine portraits that lined the marble floor hallways. The one notable change was the gate that opened only for a privileged few. By the initials at the front, this was now Diamond Tiara's abode. I couldn't even imagine what new building of extravagance Filthy Rich now called his home, if he even lived here anymore.

I stopped a few feet short of the entrance. All at once, the emotions that had kept me away from this place implored that I should get back on the train and return.

"You've made it this far, Silver Spoon!" Sweetie Belle pushed me forward, "You can't give up now!"

Eventually, I was face to face with the metal bars. From here, I could see pink patio furniture surrounding the sparkling pool but not one pony. Usually, I would see a servant patrolling the gate to shoo away undesirables or welcome in the desired but of course, that was Filthy Rich's method of handling arriving guests. Sweetie Belle pointed out how Tiara handled visitors, an intercom to the side of the gate.

"Well, maybe she's not in today," I stuttered.

"Nonsense," Sweetie Belle countered. She grabbed my hoof and jammed it right onto the red button. "You won't know until you ask!"

I experienced the longest few seconds of my life. There was nothing but silence coming from the speaker and I had no idea which voice I would hear. Would it be one of joy and forgiveness or would Tiara cast me out just like the last time we talked? If Sweetie Belle weren't holding me in place, I would've ran away as fast as I could, preferring ignorance rather than finding out my answer.

Once I heard a crackle, my heart seized beating.

"This is Henchhoof. What is your business with Master Tiara?"

That sharp and elderly voice, it was a carbon copy from my memories. How Henchhoof, the most loyal of butlers, had not retired by now had me speechless for a moment.

"Henchhoof," I squealed into the speaker. "It's me! Silver Spoon!"

"Madam Spoon," the unseen butler responded with cordiality. "It is good to hear your voice again."

"Yes, yes, of course. I wanted to see if I could visit Diamond Tiara!"

Henchhoof coughed. "E–excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?"

All the time I knew him, he never wavered in his speech. Mine certainly did right now. "Diamond T–tiara. I came to see Diamond Tiara. Is she here?"

Again, a long pause. "Yes. Yes she is, Madam Spoon. One moment please."

Once the speaker cut off, Sweetie Belle pulled me in for a quick hug. "You see? That wasn't so hard, was it? You were worried all this time for nothing! Just wait! In a few minutes, you'll be—"

"Pardon me," spoke the voice from the intercom. "I do apologize but the Master does not want to see you."

Butter knife right into my chest and all this time, I saw it coming. No amount of delusion I had back at Canterlot convinced me that there would've been any answer other than this one. I even cried into my pillow at night every time I imagined Tiara or one of her servants rejecting me so I wouldn't have any right now. Tears were in plenty supply, though, and I didn't put up a fight on whether to let them out.

Sweetie Belle, in all her kindness, tried to wipe some away but I held her back. "No. Don't worry. I wasn't expecting to see her anyways."

"What? But wasn't that the whole point for coming back," the unicorn implored.

It was but only with what she knew. There was one thing I didn't tell her. I just wanted to get this over with, so I turned to the intercom. "Henchhoof? I understand if Diamond Tiara doesn't wish to see me. If you can do me a favor, please inform her I have something that belongs to her that I want to return." Out of my saddlebag, I pulled out a silver spoon.

"Silver Spoon," Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "But that's… don't tell me you're going to—"

"I must, Sweetie Belle. Henchhoof? Diamond Tiara gifted me a spoon back when we were fillies. I would like to return it, if I may. It really belongs to her."

This time, the loyal butler kept his stoic tone. "One moment while I inform the Master."

Already, I could hear Sweetie Belle ranting about returning something that Tiara gave to me. I suppose I had the same arguments in my head many times over but one side eventually won the debate.

I quieted her with a headshake. "If our friendship is truly over, Sweetie Belle, then there's no reason to keep this anymore. It was never mine to begin with. There's not much else to it, really."

"But Silver Spoon, you can't just—"

"Madam Spoon," Henchhoof chimed in. "Master Tiara wanted me to inform you that you're allowed to keep the spoon."

That I wasn't ready to hear. "W–wait a minute. But this is her spoon, Henchhoof. If we're not friends anymore—"

"She is aware of that. However, she wants you to keep it, as a reminder for all the years of dutiful service to Master Tiara. Now, I must leave you but please do take care of yourself, Madam Spoon."

With that, my mission to Ponyville ended in a brief spurt of electrical static. I had reached these gates but I would go no further. The spoon that I had kept wrapped in fine linen for years remained in my hooves, polished as the day I received it. I wasn't sure what to think or say and based on Sweetie Belle's stare, she was in the same boat. If I could've just had Henchhoof come over to me in private, maybe I could've figured out whether his words were really from Diamond Tiara or if he had filtered them for my ears.

Then again, maybe that wasn't important to know.

Regardless of what Tiara really said, this spoon did have a purpose. It was a reminder of the friendship that had been and even if we were no longer together, the memories I had about her would always be part of me. There were unpleasant events that I wished I could've avoided but we had our fancy lunches, the secrets we shared between one another and the pillow fights that often drew Filthy Rich's ire. If she were here, I would at least thank her for that.

Sweetie Belle ducked into my vision, her eyes watering more than mine did. "I'm so sorry, Silver Spoon. If you want, I can try to reach her myself."

"You've done enough, Sweetie Belle," I answered with a smile that grew the more I looked at her.

Maybe Tiara was no longer my friend but in Sweetie Belle, I had another. I should've lost this one as well but life had given me a break. I made many mistakes during my friendship with Diamond Tiara but that meant I could learn from them. Living in Canterlot changed me for the better but I had to continue my amends here. Sweetie Belle would be the perfect start.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle? Since we're done here, how about some lunch? My treat!"


End file.
